Method for preparing citrus halves

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method are provided for preparing citrus halves such as grapefruit for the table, comprising a Vee trough conveyor means receiving and transferring a generally spherical fruit with its axis transverse to its path of travel, a cutter in the path of said conveyor bisecting the angle of the Vee trough and cutting the fruit carried thereby, a moving table receiving the cut portions of fruit from the Vee conveyor and moving such portions away from the cutter, a cutter table adjacent said moving table, a first driven shaft moving vertically axially beneath said table, said shaft having a radial arm on the upper end thereof, a vertical cutter adjustable on said arm, an annular opening in the table through which said cutter projects when said first shaft is raised, means acting on said first shaft selectively to raise and lower the same, a second driven shaft spaced from the first, movable vertically axially beneath the table, a hole cutter on said shaft, an opening in the table through which said hole cutter extends when said second shaft is raised, means acting on said second shaft selectively to raise and lower the same, stop means on the table top adjacent each of the annular opening and the hole cutter opening whereby halves of fruit are positioned and drive means acting on each of the first and second shafts.

United States Patent i191 Grotewold et al.

[ 51 Jan. 2, 1973 [54] METHOD FOR PREPARING CITRUS HALVES [76] inventors: Hans W. Grotewold, Sebring, Fla. 33870; Don S. Bryan, PO. Box 154, Bartow, Fla. 33830 [22] Filed: Oct. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 188,962

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 5,6ll, Jan. 26, 1970, Pat, No.

[52] U.S. Cl. ..99/233.11 [51] Int. Cl. ..A23n 15/00 [58] Field of Search ..l46/236, 238, 3 N

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,205,926 9/l965 Belk ..l46/3 N Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie Att0rney-Buell, Blenko & Ziesenheim [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus and method are provided for preparing citrus halves such as grapefruit for the table, comprising a Vee trough conveyor means receiving and transferring a, generally spherical fruit with its axis transverse to its path of travel, a cutter in the path of said conveyor bisecting the angle of the Vee trough and cutting the fruit carried thereby, a moving table receiving the cut portions of fruit from the \[ee conveyor and moving such portions away from the cutter, a cutter table adjacent said moving table, a first driven shaft moving vertically axially beneath said table, said shaft having a radial arm on the upper end thereof, a vertical cutter adjustable on said arm, an annular opening in the table through which said cutter projects when said first shaft is raised, means acting on said first shaft selectively to raise and lower the same, a second driven shaft spaced from the first, movable vertically axially beneath the table, a hole cutter on said shaft, an opening in the table through which said hole cutter extends when said second shaft is raised, means acting on said second shaft selectively to raise and lower the same, stop means on the table top adjacent each of the annular opening and the hole cutter opening whereby halves of fruit are positioned and drive means acting on each of the first and second shafts.

2 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 2 I975 SHEET 1 [1F 4 PATENTEB JAN 2 SHEET 2 BF 4 PATENTEDJAN 2191 SW u m 4 3,708,003

1 METHOD FOR PREPARING CITRUS HALVES segments or sections can be easily removed from the albedo, free of seeds and membrane.

The preparation of citrus halves, such as grapefruit halves for restaurants, cafeterias and the like, has for years posed a problem. It is desirable that the fruit section be loosened from the albedo and that the seeds and core be largely removed in the case where seeds are present and the core cut in the case of seedless fruit, so

that the consumer can readily remove the section with a suitable spoon. This problem has reached such proportions that many restaurants and cafeterias will not serve grapefruit halves because of the high cost of preparation.

We have developed an apparatus and method which makes the preparation of grapefruit and other citrus halves easy and inexpensive. We have found that the fruit can be satisfactorily prepared without actually separating each segment from the albedo. Our research has shown that if the fruit is cut adjacent the albedo to a depth of about one-quarter inch on the average and the center core cut out to a depth of about one and onehalf inch and about 1 inch or more in diameter, the fruit sections can be easily removed without disturbing the dividing membrane and with substantial freedom from seeds. If the cut adjacent the rind exceeds about one half of an inch, then the dividing membrane tends to tear away from the rind when the section is removed from the fruit whereas if the cut is less, the membrane will remain attached and the section will remove readily with a spoon. The same is true with the core cutting or removal if the cut is too deep the membrane tends to tear on removal of the section. Accordingly, we preferably cut only about one-half inch in depth at the core and to remove the core only if seeds are present.

In a preferred embodiment of our invention, we provide a V-trough conveyor means adapted to receive and transfer a spherical object, a cutter in the path of said conveyor adapted to cut diametrically across a sphere carried in said conveyor, a moving table receiving the cut portions of the sphere from said conveyor, a cutter table adjacent said moving table, a first driven shaft extending vertically beneath said table, a first driven shaft extending vertically beneath said table, said shaft having a radial arm on the end thereof nearest the table surface, a vertical cutter adjustable radially on said arm, an annular opening in the table through which said cutter is adapted to project when raised, means acting on said first shaft selectively to raise and lower the same, a second driven shaft extending vertically beneath the said cutter table, said second shaft carrying a hole cutter on the axis of said shaft, an opening in said table through which said hole cutter passes when raised, means acting on said second shaft to selectively raise and lower the same and adjustable stop means on the cutter table top adjacent each of the annular opening and the hole cutter opening whereby the halves of fruit are positioned. Preferably the movable cutter on the radial arm is a hook type cutter rotated at slow speed and the hole cutter is a drill bit rotated at relatively higher speed. Preferably the first cutter shaft or shafts are mounted for rotation on a vertically movable plate connected to a fluid activated cylinder controlled by an operator. Similarly the hole cutter is preferably mounted on the driven shaft of a motor which is mounted on a vertically movable plate connected to a fluid activated cylinder controlled by an operator. The fluid operated cylinders may be air cylinders or hydraulic cylinders. The V-trough conveyor may be a pair of belt conveyors, a lug conveyor or any other suitable means.

In the foregoing general description, we have set out certain objects, purposes and advantages of our invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to our invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3a -3c are plan views of a citrus half cut according to our invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the outer cutter arrangement of our invention;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section, partly broken away, on the line VI-VI of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan core cutter arrangement of our invention;

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a section on the line IXIX of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 isa top plan view of another modification of the apparatus.

view of the Referring to the drawings we have illustrated a V- trough conveyor 10 formed by two belt conveyors 11 and 12 mounted on a table 13 at an angle of about 90 to each other and driven at the same speed from a common drive motor 14. A rotary cutter wheel 15 is mounted on a support frame 16 bisecting the angle between conveyors 11 and 12. Citrus fruit to be prepared are placed between conveyors 11 and 12, with their cores parallel to the axis of cutter wheel 15, and carried beneath wheel 15 where they are cut in half and discharged onto moving table 17. Each pair of halves 18 is picked up from table 17' and placed cut face down on table surface 19 with the periphery of each half engaging three movable stops 20 bolted in slots 21 in the table top. Air cylinder 22 is then actu ated by the operator which raises plate 23 on guide posts 24 against stop 25 on the underside of support head 27 which with table top 19 forms annular slot 28. Plate 23 carries with it annular shafts 29 and 29a which are journalled for rotation on the vertical guide posts 24. A motor 30 mounted on plate 23 drives one shaft 29a by means of sprocket 31 on the motor and sprocket 32 on shaft 290 by means of chain 31a. The other shaft 29 is driven from first shaft 29a by means of a chain 33 and sprockets 34 on shaft 29 and 35 on. shaft 29a. A cutter arm 36 extends radially from the upper end of each of shafts 29 and 29a and is provided with an ad- As soon as the outer cut is completed, the cut halves are moved to table 40 over holes 41 and with their periphery against stops 42 which are movably mounted in slots 43 in table top 40. Air cylinder 44 is energized along with motors 45 and 46 on plate 47. Cylinder 44 moves plate 47 on vertical guides 48 upwardly against stops 49 beneath table top 40. Bits 50 are mounted in chucks 51 on motors 45 and 46 and when plate 47 moves upwardly, these bits are moved through holes 41 and into the core 60 of halves 18 to remove a portion of the core. The bit moves upwardly about one-half inch above the table top surface 40. Where the citrus half has seeds a drill bit about 1 /4 inches in diameter is used so as to remove both core and seeds. Such a cut is shown in FIG. 3a. Where seedless fruit are being handled, the bit size is reduced and the core is cut around as shown in FIG. 30 by a hollow annular cutter and left in place.

While we have illustrated and described certain presently preferred embodiments and practices of our invention in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

l. A method for preparing citrus halves comprising the steps of:

a. cutting a citrus fruit in twoapproximately equal halves transverse to the core line;

b. cutting a first annular incision around each half adjacent the junction of the fruit section and the rind to a depth of up to about one-half of an inch; and

0. cutting a second incision at the core of the halves to a depth of between about one-half inch to the albedo.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first incision is made to a depth of one-quarter inch and the second incision to a depth of one-half inch and the core portion within the second incision is removed. 

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first incision is made to a depth of one-quarter inch and the second incision to a depth of one-half inch and the core portion within the second incision is removed. 